Drive-chain.



F. L. MORSE.

DRIVE OHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED mus], 1907.

Patented N 0v. 3, 1914.

a SHEEITSSHEET 1.

P. L. MORSE.

DRIVE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN, 31, 1907.

1 1 1 5,960, Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

P. L. MORSE.

DRLVE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.81, 1907.

1 l 1 5,960. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 8.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED sfrATEsr ATENT orat on.

FRANK L. MORSE, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MORSE CHAIN COMPANY, OFITHACA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 31, 1907.Serial No. 355,041.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

chains for power transmission, and more particularly to the joints forsuch chains, the principal object being to increase the bearing Qreabetween the relatively moving surfaces in contact during the flexing of.

the joint. In chains of this character a bearing surface between therelatively movable parts of the joint extending substantially the fullwidth of the chain, has been provided by forming the parts of the jointin separate pieces extending through the links of the chain, andaccording to one construction the joint has been composed of two sidepintle members, or segmental bushings, extending transversely throughthe chain links, each member being mounted in and adapted to turn withone of the adjacent links, and a central pin member inserted between theoppositely facing hearing surfaces of the two side pintles, or bushings,and adapted to turn upon either of them as the joint is flexed. But withsuch a construction, the relative movement between the parts of thejoint normally occurs upon one side only of the central pin member ateach or any one particular bending movement of the links; that is tosay, while the relative movement may at one time occur between thecentral pin and the bearing surface of one of the bushings 01? sidepintle parts, and at another time between the central pin and. the otherof the bushings, it does not ordinarily at any time turn simultaneouslyupon both of these bearing surfaces, and consequently the maximum areaof bearing surface which may be considered as being available and activeat each flexing of a oint, is limited to the length or area of one sidepintle or bushing where .it engages the central pin member. of thejoint.

According to' my present improvement, a relative movement is producedupon both sides of the central pin at the same time and at each bendingmovement of the joint, whereby the active bearing surface participatingin each flexing movement of the chain extends between both of the sidehearing surfaces and opposite sides of the central pin. In this mannerthe extent of actual bearing surface between which relative movementsimultaneously occurs at each flexing action of the joint is doubled inarea, while substantially one-half of the necessary movement takes placeuponv each side of the central pin, and the speed or rate of movementbetween said engaging surfaces is only one-half as much as in the formertype of chain construction. With this greatly increased area of activebearng surface the wearing qualities of the oint will be correspondinglyincreased and the life of the chain prolonged.

My improvement is applicable to various forms of drive chains, wherein acentral pin member is employed at the joint and has bearing surfacesupon opposite sides for engaging corresponding bearing surfaces carviewsof the links of the chain illustrated in Fig. 1, and showing theformation of the apertures at the ends of the plates; Fig. 4: a sideView of said links mounted on a portion of a sprocket wheel and showingone form of joint construction embodying my improvements; Fig. 5 a planview of three links of a inultiplate type of drive chain;

F ig'. 6 a side view. thereof applied to a portion of a sprocket wheel;Fig. 7 a perspective view showing in detail the separated parts of thechain joint, and also a slight modification of one of them; Fig. 8 ahorizontal section of three links of a multiplate chain having jointscorresponding to the chain shown in Figs. 5 and 6, but composed of linksformed of a larger number of plates; Fig. 9 a plan view of a portion ofa multiplate chain having a modified form of oint embodying myinvention; Fig. 10 a side view of the same with one joint shown insection; Fig. 11 a horizontal section of the same on the line a:m ofFig. 10; Fig. 12 a plan view of a portion of a modified form of chainembodying my improved joint construction; Fig. 13 a side View of'thesame; and Fig. 1a a. vertical section of one of the link members.

According to the'construction shown in -Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive,myimprovementis play of the central pin member, since thisillustrated asapplied to a block link chain,

wherein the adjacent links are composed of two side plates, 1, and anintermediate block for the central pin member of the joint may be formedintegrally upon the link plates, I prefer to insert separate sidebearing pieces, or pintle parts, 3 and 1, (see Fig. 7) and for thispurpose apertures are formed in the ends of the link members adapted tohold in place one of the side pintle parts and provide clearance for thefree movement of the other side pintle part and the central pin member,5, which extend through the apertures. According to the preferredconstruction, the link members, or the side pintle parts, 3 and l, areprovided with convex bearing surfaces, while the central pin member, 5,has corresponding concave bearing surfaces upon its opposite sides forengaging with-the side bearing pieces, as shown in Fig. 7.

The side pintle parts, 3 and 4, may be made in double convex form, sothat either face is adapted to fit the concave surfaces of the central'pin, 5, and the apertures in the link members are preferably formed ofa corresponding shape having a curved or notched portion, 6, at one sideadapted to receive the section of one of the side pintle parts.

The central pin member, 5, maybe provided with shouldered ends,7,projecting to receive the washers, S, for holding the parts together atthe joint; or, if preferred, these shouldered ends maybe formed on oneof the side pintle parts, an indicated at 4, Fig. 7. The enlargedportion, 9, of the apertures allows for the free movement of the otherside pintle member and also for the lateral member will be subjected toa slight lateral movement in substantially a radial direction withreference to the sprocket Wheel as the joint bends in passing on to andoff from said wheel. The application of this construction of joint to amultiplate chain wherein the links are composed of archsliaped platesinterspersed upon the pintles with plates of adjacent links, isillustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. In this design, the plates, 1 and 2,comprising adjacent links, are formed with apertures similar to thoseschown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which the pintle parts, 3, 4 and 5, aremounted as before described, that is, one of the side pintle parts, as3, is held in place in the apertures of the plates 1 of one link, whilethe other side pintle part, 4, is held in place in the apertures of theplates 2 of the adjacent link, and the central pin member, 5, having thedouble concave surfaces is located in the apertures between the convexsurfaces of 'the side pintles and has a moving bearing engagement withboth of said surfaces simultaneously as the joint bends,

As illustrated in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, my

improvement is applied to a conveyer type of chain, wherein the linksare each composed of integral members formed with two side bar portions,10, joined by a cross-bar, 11, at one end and having a hook-shapedprojection, 12, at the other end. One of the side convex bearingsurfaces for the 'oint may be formed on the cross-bar, 11, an the otherside convex bearing surface on the hook-shaped projection 12, while thecentral pin, 5, may be convenientl slipped through an opening 13 in oneo the side bars and inserted between said side bearing surfaces.

In the joints for the different types of chains, as thus far described,the central pin member engages by its double concave surfaces with theconvex or partly c lindrical surfaces of the two side pintle par so thatas the joint bends a relative moving engagement exists at both of saidbearing surfaces at the same time, since the convex surface of one linkturns upon or in the concave bearing on one side of the central pin andcauses the-pin to turn upon the other side bearing surface, the movementupon each side being only one-half the angular movement made between theadjacent links.- The area of the effective bearing surface upon whicheach joint articulates is thereby greatly increased, since it extendsdouble the length of the. central pin, and the rate of movement of onesurface of "the joint upon another is greatly diminished.

By means of the construuetion of the central pin in a double concavesection, it is restrained from turning completely with either of theside bearing surfaces and is caused to effect a relative movementsimultaneously upon both of them while maintaining a substantial radialposition with respect to the sprocket wheel. The same advantages mayalso be produced to some extent with a central pin member, 5, ofsubstantially cylindrical section having two op posite convex bearingsurfaces engaging corresponding concave bearings on the side pin-- tleparts, or bushings, 8 and 4, as indicated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 of thedrawings, ifmeans are provided for restraining'the central pin memberfrom turning completely with one of the side pintle parts and requiringthe said central pin to effect a relative movement upon both bearingsurfaces simultaneously equal to substantially one-half of the totalangular movement. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, this maybe accomplished byproviding a spring device having two leaves, 14 and 15, one attached tothe plates of one link and the otherto the plates of the adjacent link,while the center of the spring is connected to the center pin, 5. As

this joint is flexed one side pintle, or bushing, turns partly upon thecenter pin, but the spring is at the same time stretched upon one side,which causes a partial movement of the center pin in the bearing surfaceof the other side pintle or bushing, thereby providing a learing inwhich substantially one-half the movement necessary for the joint toflex, takes place upon .each side of the central pin member, so that thebearing surface between the relatively mov ing parts of the jointextends twice the length of the central pin member.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is v i 1. An oscillating joint for chains,comprising two parts, or links, adapted to be hinged together, and eachprovided with a bearing surface, and a central bearing memher having apositlve movement relative toboth the side bearing surfaces as the jointbends.

2. An oscillating joint for chains, comprising two parts,-or links,adapted to be hinged together and each provided with a bearing surface,and a central bearing member inserted between said surfaces, the centralmember bein restrained from turning with either one o the side surfaces,whereby positive relative movement must occur between the central memberand both said side bearing surfaces at each flexing of the joint.

with corresponding oppositely located bearing surfaces and .having apositive movement relative to both of the link bearing surfaces eachtime the oint bends.

In a joint for chains, the combination with two adjacent links carryingconvex bearing surfaces, of a central pin member connecting said linksand provided with corresponding concave bearing surfaces.

6. In a joint for chains, the combination of adjacent links comprisingtwo side pintle parts, each engaging and turning with one of said linksand having a bearing surface, and a central pin member havingcorresponding bearing surfaces on opposite sides, the construction beingsuch that a relative movement is positively effected simultaneously onthe opposite bearing surfaces of the center pin as the joint bends.

- 7. In a joint for chains, the combination of one link member having anaperture, an

adjacent link member also having an aperture, and a central pm memberlocated in said apertures, and having a positive movement simultaneouslyupon the bearing surfaces in both of said apertures as the joint bends.

8. In a joint for chains, the combination of one link member having anaperture one wall of which forms a convex bearing surface, an adjacentlink also having an aperture one wall of which forms a convex bearingsurface, and a central pin member located in said apertures and having acor responding double concave bearing surface engaging the correspondingconvex bearing surfaces of the adjacent links.

9. In a joint for chains, the combination of one link member having anaperture one wall of which forms a convex bearing surface, an adjacentlink also having an aperture, a separate pintle part having a convex bearing surface extending through said apertures, and a central pin memberalso extending through the apertures and having opposite concave bearingsurfaces engaging said convex bearing surfaces.

. 10. In a drive chain, the combination of adjacent links composed of aplurality of plates formed with apertures at their ends, a side pintlepart extending through said apertures and engaging the plates of onelink, another side pintle part located in said apertures and engagingwith the plates of the adjacent link, and a central pin member extendingthrough said apertures, the construction being such as to force thecentral pin to turn partly upon each of these side pintle parts as thejoint bends.

11. In a drive chain, the combination of adjacent links composed of aplurality of plates formed with apertures at their ends,

a side pintle part having a convex. bearing surface extending throughsaid apertures and engaging with the plates of one link, another sidepintle part with a convex bearing surface and engaging with the platesof the adjacent link, and a central pin member located between said sidepintle parts and having a double concave bearin surface.'

12. In a drive chain, the combination with adjacent link members formedwith aper tures at their ends, of two side pintle parts each engagingwith one of the link members and havingv a double convex surface, and acentral pin member having two concav bearing surfaces.

13. In a drive chain, the combination with adjacent links formed of aplurality of plates having apertures at their ends, and two side pintleparts and a central pin member extending through said apertures, each ofthe latter being formed to rigidly hold in place one of the side pintleparts and allow free movement of the other parts, the construction beingsuch as tocause the center apertures in said plates being formed to pinto turn upon both of the side pintle rigidly hold in place one of theside pintle parts at each articulation of the joint. parts and allowfree movement of the other 14-. In a drive chain, the combination withparts. v 5 adjacent links formed of a plurality of -In testimony whereofI have hereunto set 1:) plates having apertures at their ends, two myhand.

side 'pintle parts each having a convex bear- FRANK L. MORSE. ingsurface, acentral pin inem'ber located Witnesses: between the same andhaving two corre- P. C. COLT,

10 sponding concave bearing surfaces, the D. B. PERRY.

